Danish anti-doping researcher Jakob Mørkeberg and his supervisor Bo Belhage have called into question Lance Armstrong’s Hematocrit, Hemoglobin and Reticulocyte counts during the 2009 Tour de France.
According to the Livestrong.com website, Armstrong’s hematocrit readings on July 2nd and July 25th were almost identical at 42.8 and 43 percent respectively, with hemoglobin levels of 14.3 and 14.5g/dl. In contrast, his hematocrit levels at the start and finish of the Giro d’Italia were 43.5 versus 38.2 percent, a drop of over five points.
Mørkeberg also noted increases in Armstrong’s Hematocrit levels around both rest days, and lower than expected Reticulocyte levels. He said one explanation, particularly for the Reticulocyte counts, could be blood transfusions. The other two substances can be changed in similar ways by dehydration, diarrhea, etc.
Armstrong’s response (via Twitter, of course): How do I say “ssdd” in Danish? (Same S**t Different Day)
Dr Rasmus Damsgaard, who currently works with both Astana and Saxo Bank to interpret their biological passport results, says that the results need to be evaluated by the UCI and that none of this should have been leaked to the press until there was proof beyond a doubt of wrongdoing.
CyclingNews.com has an extensive story on this here.
